Timeless: A Journey Through the Past
by Heartache14
Summary: If you could go back, would you? When the team Timeless arrives, Ritsuka is faced with the option to go back. What happened that made him lose his memories? Will he change the past to change the future? And most importantly, what about Soubi?
1. The Removal of Misaki Aoyagi

A/N: Yay! My first Loveless fanfic! I'm so happy and excited about it. *hugs Soubi* Soubi's excited about it too! Aren't ya, Soubi?

Soubi: Uh…sure.

**Disclaimer:**

Soubi: Stephanie does not own Loveless.

Me: But I do own Soubi!

Soubi: No you don't. Ritsuka owns me.

Me: Goddamn you, Soubi! Can't you indulge my fantasies just once?

Soubi: Only if Ritsuka orders me to.

Me: *runs off to find Ritsuka*

ENJOY THE FANFIC!

* * *

_Flashback…._

Agatsuma Soubi bit his tongue to the point of bleeding as the leather whip came crashing down upon his back. Ritsu retracted his hand, fully prepared to continue "training" his precious student. However, something on the young boy's skin caught his attention.

Ritsu gently tugged at the back of Soubi's pants, revealing beautiful calligraphy on his lower back. He sneered, then pulled back the whip and marred the delicate writing with deep bloody scar.

**

* * *

**

_Present Day_

Ritsuka watched with unblinking eyes as the police officers dragged his mother away. She didn't resist, just let herself be tugged away. Misaki's eyes flickered to Ritsuka, love and recognition glowing in her eyes.

"My Ritsuka! Don't take me away from my Ritsuka! He needs me. Tell them Ritsuka!" The woman shouted. "Tell them how much mommy loves you! Don't let them take me away!"

"I-I'm sorry, mother," Ritsuka whispered.

"No!" Misaki screeched, "You're not my Ritsuka! My Ritsuka loved me. He wouldn't let them take me away!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Ritsuka mumbled it over and over again. Misaki shouted and screamed as they forced her into the police car. Even as his mother was taken away, even as the officer asked him questions, even as he cried, he kept saying it.

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._

* * *

The officer asked if he had any family friends or relatives of neighbors he could stay with. Immediately, his mind went to Soubi.

He explained that Soubi was his brother's friend and that he would surely take care of him. The officer seemed a little hesitant but drove him to the fighter's apartment, nonetheless.

Soubi was surprised to see Ritsuka, especially considering he was accompanied by an officer. Ritsuka slipped into the apartment as the policeman explained everything. He explained that Misaki had another fit, this one so loud, a neighbor called the police. They burst in to find Ritsuka on the floor, bruised and his mother, begging for _her_ Ritsuka.

The policeman left and Soubi turned his attention to Ritsuka. The boy stood by the window, gazing out unseeingly.

"Ritsuka, are you alright?" Soubi asked hesitantly. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around the child. The boy didn't say anything. He just turned around and rested his head on Soubi's chest.

* * *

Later that night, Ritsuka found himself lying on Soubi's bed. His fighter was currently in the kitchen preparing dinner. The day's events played themselves over and over again in his head.

But, then, so did other memories.

_A ten year old Ritsuka smiled up at his older brother. Seimei ruffled his younger sibling's hair. Ritsuka's smile grew even wider._

"_Hey, Ritsuka," the elder began, "what do you say we go on a picnic today? Would you like that?"_

_Ritsuka was already making his way into the kitchen before his brother could even finish his statement. "I'll go get the basket!"_

**(...random dots...)**

_Ritsuka giggled as his brother pushed him on the swing. It was moments such as these when he was happiest. He almost felt like his old self, or rather what he heard his old self was like. It was these moments with Seimei when he was happiest._

"_Higher, onii-chan!"_

**(...random dots...)**

_Seimei held the dandelion in front of his brother's face. "You close your eyes and blow on it, and as you do so, you make a wish."_

_Ritsuka quickly snatched the weed from Seimei's hand. He closed his eyes, his cheeks all puffed up with air. And then, he blew._

_White matter fled from the plant's stem, carried by the breeze. When he opened his eyes, Seimei was smiling at him._

"_What did you wish for, Ritsuka?"_

**(...random dots...)**

"I wished to go back."

"_What do you mean 'back'?" Seimei voice conveyed confusion._

"Back to the way things were. Back to when I could remember. Back to the old Ritsuka."

_Seimei frowned deeply. "There is no old Ritsuka or new Ritsuka. There's just Ritsuka."_

"Liar."

**

* * *

**

Soubi and Ritsuka sat at the dinner table in silence. Ritsuka wasn't even eating; he just pushed his food around on his plate, lost in thought.

Lost in memories.

"Do you want to talk about it, Ritsuka?" the blond asked hesitantly. "I know this situation must be hard for you."

The boy just shook his head.

"I don't- ," Soubi began, but he was cut off by Ritsuka finally speaking.

"Things were fine before…when Seimei was alive. My mother still hit me, of course, but…" he trailed off.

Soubi stared down at his food. "Things were better for us all when Seimei was still alive," was his quiet response.

"Do you miss him?" Ritsuka asked suddenly.

The question caught him off guard. "Yes," Soubi answered uncertainly. Granted, his memories with Seimei were probably less…pleasant than Ritsuka's, but he missed his old sacrifice nonetheless.

"Despite what he did to you?"

Soubi's head snapped up to look at Ritsuka and his hand unthinkingly went to his neck. "I cannot hold a grudge against him, Ritsuka. Besides, I belonged to him; what he did was not wrong." Soubi flashed him calm smile. "After all, every fighter must have a name."

* * *

A/N: *walks in carrying Ritsuka by the neck* Found him! *turns to the fabulous readers* What will happen next? Will Soubi indulge my fangirl fantasies? Will Ritsuka let him? What's going to happen in the next chapter? Will I update this story consistently? These questions and more will be answered in chapter 2 of TIMELESS!

Soubi: I can answer that last one for you.

Me: DON'T even go there, Soubi!

PLEASE REVIEW! FIRST PERSON TO REVIEW GETS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT I WRITE A LEMON FOR THIS STORY! What the heck...ALL OF YOU CAN TELL ME IF YOU WANT ME TO WRITE A LEMON FOR THIS STORY!

Soubi: They're all gonna say yes.

Ritsuka: How do you know that?

Soubi: Because all fangirls are perverts.

Me: HEY! That's…incredibly true… -_-

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	2. Everything is shining

A/N: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS/ALERTS/FAVORITES! YOU'VE MADE ME SO HAPPEEEEEEE!

Seimei: Why the hell are you yelling?

Me: It makes for a more dramatic effect, Seimei-kun.

Seimei: Yeah, right. Hey, did you just call me Seimei-_kun_? I'm older than you.

Me: And your point is?

Seimei: Nisei, dispose of her.

Me: nuh uh, Seimei-**kun. **You can't dispose of me just yet.

Seimei: And why is that?

Me: Because I have the ultimate weapon on my side.

Seimei:?

Me: An entire army of fangirls prepared to kill you if I don't finish any of my fanfics.

Seimei: *runs away*

**Disclaimer:**

Soubi: Stephanie does not own Loveless.

Me: OHMYGOD! Will you stop doing that, Soubi?

Soubi: No way. I'm having too much fun.

* * *

When Ritsuka woke up the next morning, he felt a little better. Maybe it was because his guilt was fading. Maybe it was because he finally felt safe. Or maybe it was because he slept in Soubi's arms.

Whatever the reason, Ritsuka left for school in a pretty good mood. That is, until he'd actually arrived at school.

The moment he walked in the door, fifteen nosy pairs of eyes stared at him. At that moment, he knew that they knew. Instantly, he was bombarded with questions and comments.

"RITSUKA-KUN! Are you okay?"

"Is it true that your mother beats you?"

"Your mom is evil, isn't she, Aoyagi?"

"He probably deserves it!"

Thankfully, the tirade ended when Shinonome-sensei entered the classroom. Her gaze gently roamed over Ritsuka's battered form, but thankfully she managed to stop herself from asking questions. For now, anyway. Instead, she told everyone to return to their proper seats, and the day began.

* * *

"Aoyagi-kun?" Shinonome said during the students' lunch period. "May I speak with you for a moment out in the hall?"

Ritsuka sighed, mentally preparing himself for the long and difficult conversation ahead. "Of course, sensei."

As he followed his teacher out of the room, he could feel the eyes on him. Some of them were sympathetic and worried, like Yuiko and Yayoi. Most, however, were prying and judgmental.

"How are you feeling, Aoyagi-kun?" the teacher asked softly.

Ritsuka put on his best fake smile. "I'm fine, Shinonome-sensei."

"I am aware of the, uh, incident with your mother," the woman cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. "If I may ask, who are you living with at the moment?"

"Soubi."

Hitomi's face morphed into a mixture of shock and discomfort. "Agatsuma-san? B-but, that's not appropriate, Aoyagi-kun!"

The young boy merely shrugged. "I don't have any family members to stay with, and the police officer didn't seem to have a problem with it."

"I don't think you should be staying with Agatsuma-san."

He raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Oh? And why's that?"

"You don't know enough about him. I understand that he was your brother's friend but he could be dangerous!"

Ritsuka felt his temper rise, partly because of what his sensei was insinuating about Soubi, and partly because she mentioned his brother. "And you know him so much better, sensei?" was his reply.

"I-I-I…" she stammered.

"I didn't think so," and with that Ritsuka strode out of the school.

* * *

Mako leaned against the wall of the elementary school, her long black hair tangling against the rough brick. Next to her stood a tall blond boy. His position was casual yet slightly defensive, as if he was prepared to take a bullet for her. And, in all honesty, he was.

Mako looked up at her fighter with an amused look in her dark brown eyes. "Calm down, Taki," she said. "We're just in front of an elementary school. No one's going to attack us."

Taki sighed, a tired look flickering in his green eyes. "I know, it's just… ever since our encounter with _**him**_," his voice betrayed both scorn and anger, "I've been…on edge."

Mako smiled at him sympathetically. "I know. I've been a little nervous too. But I really feel that we need to do this. I may not really know this Ritsuka kid, but we need to do this. He needs to know the truth. I…"

The sacrifice's words trailed off as a small raven haired boy came bursting through the school doors. Neither Mako nor Taki knew this Aoyagi Ritsuka personally, but both could see the resemblance between him and his older brother.

"Aoyagi Ritsuka?" Taki asked as the boy stormed past them. He turned around quickly once he heard his name.

"Yes?" Ritsuka responded, unable to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. It normally wasn't a good thing when someone knew him.

"I'm Mako and this is Taki." The girl gently pushed her hair away from where it covered the left side of her neck.

"We are _Timeless_," they said simultaneously and it was then that Ritsuka noticed the flowing script on their necks.

Naturally, Ritsuka took a step back. He was already emotionally unstable, Soubi wouldn't be here until at least another half-hour, and he had no idea if he could survive a spell battle alone.

"Look, I don't know what you want, but I have no desire to fight you. I…"

Mako quickly shook her head. "We're not here to fight you, Ritsuka. We're here to take you back."

"Back?"

"Back to two years ago…before you lost your memory."

The shock was clear on Ritsuka's face. "How did you…?"

Taki quickly interjected. "That doesn't matter. You need to know the truth, Aoyagi-kun. Before it's too late."

Mako picked up where her fighter left off. "We can take you back, Ritsuka. So you can see what happened. So you can experience what happened."

Both could sense Ritsuka's hesitation and Mako quickly said the one thing that probably would have made the little boy do anything.

"Seimei would've wanted you to. He would have wanted you to have this opportunity."

Taki worked to keep the smirk off his face but didn't say anything. His sacrifice's words were clearly having an effect on the 12 year old.

"How would this work exactly?" Ritsuka was clearly still hesitant but some of his concern seemed to be easing away.

"Our spells control time," the girl explained. "We can use it to take you back and you'd come back once…once…"

"Once you know," the blond finished softly.

Ritsuka took a deep shaky breath but it was clear he'd made his decision. "You're right; Seimei would've wanted me to have this option. And I deserve to know the truth."

Taki and Mako stepped closer towards him, their hands clasped. Taki's hand closed down over his right shoulder and Mako's rested on his left.

"Are you ready?" Mako whispered. The little neko nodded slowly. Then the team spoke together.

"_Time slide back. Take him back and make him see. See the snake hiding in the grass. Show him the truth. Let the truth burn brightly. Let it burn the darkness away leaving only this. Only this shining in the darkness. Shining like the brightest light."_

The unified voices seemed to fade away and everything grew darker. The darkness settled over Ritsuka, lulling him away. Away from the school, away from his classmates, away from Soubi. Away from everything.

He was in limbo, not sure if he was falling or flying. His eyes saw nothing. His ears heard nothing. He felt nothing. He was just…drifting.

But then he stopped.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and the sight before was enough to make him laugh and cry all at once.

His world, everything he knew, exploded at that moment. For a moment he saw nothing but bright light. The person before him was…shining.

Everything was shining like the brightest light.

* * *

A/N: So, how was that? I have to say, I am rather proud of this chapter. It turned out much better than I anticipated. Oddly enough, I found myself getting quite attached to Mako and Taki. So, um, I hope I didn't end this chapter with too much of a cliffhanger. However, if I get a nice amount of reviews, I may be tempted to update rather quickly.

Seimei: Are you blackmailing you readers into giving you reviews?

Me: Personally, I see it less as blackmailing and more as giving them incentive to comment on my story.

Seimei: How manipulative. I approve.

Me: *cringe* that sounded creepy, Seimei-kun. No wonder no one likes you.

Seimei: But they all love me. I am Beloved, after all. AND STOP CALLING ME –KUN!

Anyway, guys, please please PLEASE REVIEW! I really wanna know what you thought and how you like this chapter and the story so far. Also, I still want your opinion on whether or not I should do a lemon for this story. You guys have **plenty** of time to tell me. Trust me; we have a lot more chapters to get through and a lot more stuff to cover. Things get really interesting soon, especially once we get to chapter 4 and 5.

SEE YA NEXT TIME! BYE!


	3. Let's make memories

A/N: I'm baack! I'm so excited! This chapter doesn't cover much; it's more of a set-up for the next chapter. By now, I'm sure all of you know who the 'shining' person is.

Seimei: Of course they do. It's rather obvious.

Me: Ohmygod! Why are you still here? Don't you have anything better to do?

Seimei: I-

Me: whatever, on to the disclaimer.

**Disclaimer:**

Me: *is tied to a chair and has a gun pointed in her face* Is this really necessary?

Soubi: Yes

Me: Alright, I'll do it. Just tell Kio to get that gun out of my face. And UNTIE ME! Unless you're going to give us all some fan service? If so, I suggest you tie up Ritsuka instead.

Soubi: *quickly unties the crazy fangirl*

Me: *runs away* AH HA! I LIED! YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE!

Soubi: *tackles her to the ground*

Me: GAHH!

Soubi: Stephanie does not own Loveless.

* * *

Ritsuka's eyes focused on the sight before him as the bright light faded. The person in front of him was clearer but in Ritsuka's mind, he still shined as brightly.

"Seimei," he said the wonder clear in his voice.

Aoyagi Seimei smiled gently down at his younger brother. "Good morning, Ritsuka."

It was then that Ritsuka noticed he was lying in his bed. His room was pretty much the same. The only main difference was the wall nearest his computer. In the present/future, the wall was filled with memories. Pictures of Soubi, Kio, Yuiko, Yayoi, Shinonome-sensei. All the people that were such a big part of his life. Those people might as well not exist now.

Of course, they did exist, but only for the new Ritsuka. They meant nothing to the old Ritsuka.

The wall was fairly bare. There were a few pictures of him and Seimei, as well as him and some other children he didn't recognize. They all looked around the same age, so he figured they were his (the old Ritsuka's) friends.

Ritsuka reached up and gave his older brother a big long hug. His body was a little smaller, but Ritsuka wasn't particularly surprised, though. He was a ten year old version of himself.

If Seimei was surprised by his brother's show of affection, he didn't show it. He merely hugged Ritsuka back. It was a little odd for him to be around this younger version of Seimei. Most of his memories and pictures of Seimei portrayed him as being older, normally sixteen or seventeen.

"So, Ritsuka," Seimei said, the gentle smile still present, "what do you want to do on your first day of summer vacation?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as we're doing it together," Ritsuka replied eagerly.

"What do you say we go on a picnic? Go on and change. I'll get the basket and other things together."

"Okay!"

The elder of the two stood to leave the room but was stopped by a small pair of arms wrapping around his waste from behind. He turned to look at his younger brother.

The look on Seimei's face was confused, especially once he saw that Ritsuka's eyes were filled with tears.

"I love you, Seimei," the younger said before the elder could question him.

The confused look vanished from Seimei's face and the calm smile took its place. "I love you too, Ritsuka."

* * *

Once he was dressed, Ritsuka bounded down the stairs to find his brother waiting for him in the kitchen, a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket in the other. Seimei adjusted the items so the blanket was resting atop the basket. Now that his hand was free, he held it out to his younger brother. Ritsuka took it happily.

"Ready?" the elder of the two asked. Ritsuka nodded in response.

The two brothers exited the house and walked down the street hand-in-hand. They received smiles of approval from the strangers that they passed. After all, what was sweeter than an older brother spending time with his younger brother? The only thing strange about the situation was its rarity; it wasn't everyday that you see such an innocent and endearing sight.

It took Ritsuka a moment to realize that they were headed to the park. As they entered the park in search of a picnic spot, Ritsuka was immediately flooded with a barrage of memories. Memories that belonged not to the old Ritsuka – the real Ritsuka – but the imposter Ritsuka, the wolf in sheep's clothing. _The snake hiding in the grass._

Ritsuka felt a wave of wistfulness wash over him as they passed the picnic tables. He couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face as he recalled the first kiss he'd shared with Soubi.

Seimei looked down curiously at his brother, pleased and a little confused at the sudden smile on his face. "What are you think about?" the elder inquired.

The Loveless one quickly shook his head. "Nothing, just…thinking about the future."

The Beloved sacrifice did not have a chance to respond, seeing as how they had reached their destination – a small clearing surrounded by trees.

The siblings laid out the blanket and immediately began digging into their food. They joked and laughed as they always had, completely at peace.

However, in the middle of their early morning dessert – slices of strawberry cake - , Seimei's cell phone rang.

The fifteen year old glanced down at the number upon the screen and a faint frown crossed his features. Despite his obvious desire to just ignore the caller, Seimei answered nonetheless.

"You have terrible timing, "Seimei's voice was deceptively calm and deadly, "You know better than to call me now. It had better be an emergency."

There was a long pause as the other person spoke, but Ritsuka was unable to hear what was being said. "Oh, does he?" Seimei responded. "Well, that changes things. Return to me tomorrow and we shall discuss this then. Tell Ritsu that I look forward to speaking to him."

Ritsuka forced himself to calm down and not react to hearing Ritsu's name mentioned. After all, the old Ritsuka would have no idea what he was talking about. Yet another person who meant nothing to the real Ritsuka.

"Oh," Seimei began as though just remembering something else, "and the next time you call me while I am spending time with Ritsuka, you will regret it dearly." Seimei hung up without giving the other person a chance to respond.

Ritsuka was a little taken aback at his brother's coldness and harshness towards the caller. Surely, the person was not intentionally interrupting?

"Who was that?" the younger asked casually. On the inside, however, he was dying to know. What is Ritsu's role in all of this?

"No one of importance," was Seimei's answer.

"One of your friends?" Ritsuka pressed.

Seimei lay back on the blanket and shook his head. "No, not quite a friend. He does not deserve to be a friend of mine."

Ritsuka was once more shocked by the mean comment. Granted, no one was nice all of the time, but it was still appalling how outright rude Seimei was in regards to this mysterious caller.

"But if he's not one of your friends, why did you bother with even talking to him? There was no point if you were going to be mean to him."

"You're asking a lot of questions today, Ritsuka," Seimei replied, but his tone was not threatening or even angry. He just seemed to be remarking on an obvious fact.

The Beloved one did not even give his brother a chance to reply. He merely stood up and began packing up their things. Seimei held out his hand to his little brother once more.

"C'mon, Ritsuka, let's go in the other areas of the park. I'll push you on the swings."

Once again, Seimei did not let his brother reply. He just dragged him away from their picnic spot and their conversation.

* * *

Normally, Ritsuka quite enjoyed the swings, and even more than that, Seimei's company. However, today he was unable to properly enjoy the wind rushing through his hair as Seimei pushed him, or even Seimei himself. Ritsuka was still focused on the earlier phone call and his brother's obvious desire to not discuss it.

It was then, as he mulled things over in his head, that he noticed a familiar head of pink ponytails.

"Yui…!" he began to shout, but Ritsuka managed to quickly remember that he and Yuiko did not know each other yet. She would have no idea who he was.

For some reason, this greatly saddened the Loveless sacrifice. Yuiko was, for all intents and purposes, his best friend. He was so used to her always being there – even when he didn't _want_ her there – he almost forgot that they hadn't known each other for a very long time.

It felt strange, almost wrong. This life felt wrong. That was ridiculous, of course. After all, it was the life that he – the new Ritsuka – knew that was wrong. Wasn't it?

Yuiko had turned her head when she heard the beginnings of her name. Her eyes caught sight of a dark haired boy on the swing set being pushed by his older brother. They locked eyes and Yuiko felt a strange urge to go talk to the boy. Her parents would probably be angry that she was talking to a stranger, but they didn't have to know, right?

Yuiko began to walk towards the strange the boy, but at that moment her babysitter called her name and told her it was time to go home.

Seimei watched with curious eyes as Ritsuka began to call out someone's name. Apparently, it was the pink-haired girl's name because she turned towards them. Seimei was certain that he had met all of Ritsuka's friends, but this girl was unfamiliar. Had he met her but merely forgotten? No, even if he had forgotten her name, he would have remembered her by her hair color at least.

The girl started walking towards them but turned around when someone shouted, "Yuiko! It's time to go home!" The pinkette went running towards the voice, her pink hair bouncing as she went.

"Do you know her?" Seimei inquired. Perhaps she was one of his classmates? Someone he knew but did not quite consider a friend.

Ritsuka shook his head sadly. "No, she just looks like someone I know. She's a stranger." And it was true. Now, Yuiko was a stranger. She wasn't his best friend.

She just looked like it.

* * *

"Ritsuka, Seimei!" Misaki sang as her children came bustling into the house. "How was your picnic?"

Seimei answered first. "It was great. We had a lot of fun at the park."

Misaki stepped forward to hug her sons. Once she released Seimei, she moved to embrace Ritsuka. As his mother reached forward, Ritsuka couldn't help but flinch ever so slightly. Thankfully, neither Misaki nor Seimei noticed.

It was strange to see his mother like this. He did not know the kind, loving Misaki. This woman was not a part of his memories. She was not his mother, not really. After all, he was not the real Ritsuka. No, he only knew angry, sad woman who hated him just because he existed.

But this was not that woman. This was not the woman who he ran from. This was not the woman who hurt him again and again. This was not the woman who was taken away from him just yesterday. That woman did not exist yet. She was a result, a part of the aftermath. It was he who created her, he who made her what she is.

Ritsuka tentatively hugged his mother back, irrationally and rationally afraid of setting her off. But this Misaki did not hurt him, she merely held him in her loving arms.

She rested her hand on his cheek as she released him. "Why don't you two go get cleaned up? It's almost time for dinner."

"Really?" Ritsuka was surprised. Had he really spent the entire day in the park with Seimei? He remembered sliding down the slide with his brother as well as the numerous games of tag, but that all seemed to have happened so fast.

Misaki nodded. "Yes, you two spent all day at the park. Now hurry. Your father will be home any minute now and he'll want to eat as soon as possible."

The only reason Ritsuka didn't stare at his mother in shock was because Seimei had started ushering him up the stairs before he had the opportunity. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten dinner with his father. He remembered a few times after he first lost his memories of them all eating together. Once his mother began beating him, his presence at dinner time was rare. After Seimei died, he almost never came home.

This man, his father, really was a stranger – to the new Ritsuka, anyway. He knew almost nothing about this man.

But he was willing to learn.

* * *

Dinner was a rather interesting affair.

Seimei was kind and gentle, as always. His mother was happy and bright. This was still unsettling but Ritsuka was slowly growing accustomed to it. His father was a very quiet man – a jarring contrast to his bubbly and talkative mother. He was nice, however, and genuinely interested in his children's lives.

It made Ritsuka wonder when the man stopped caring.

Was it when Ritsuka lost his memories? Was it when Misaki became abusive? Was it when he showed no signs of recovering from the memory loss? Was it when Seimei died?

Maybe, one day, he would ask him.

Almost unconsciously, Ritsuka looked over at the items carefully, trying to remember which foods the old Ritsuka liked. This was fairly easy; he'd spent the past two years doing so.

However, in the middle of trying to recall whether or not he enjoyed mushrooms, Ritsuka quickly remembered that _it didn't matter_.

This woman and the one who had beaten him for the past two years were not the same person. She would not hit him if he ate the wrong thing. There would be no reason for her to test him. She would merely cook his favorite foods – the old Ritsuka's favorites, that is – and let him be.

For the first time in a long time, Ritsuka ate without fear.

* * *

Seimei tucked the covers in around his brother. He kissed Ritsuka's forehead. "Rest well, Ritsuka. We have a big day tomorrow."

The younger's brow wrinkled in confusion. "We do?"

"Yes," the Beloved one responded carefully. For once, Seimei seemed hesitant. "There is someone that I want you to meet tomorrow."

Ritsuka's curiosity was peaked. "Really? Who?"

"No one important," Seimei said honestly.

Ritsuka opened his mouth to respond but Seimei cut him off. "You can ask questions in the morning, Ritsuka," his tone was amused. "For now, get some sleep."

Seimei flicked off the lamp and headed for the door. He opened it but before he left, he turned towards his brother. The light from the hallway poured into the room, lighting up Seimei's back.

The shadows were cast across his face as he stood in the open doorway. The look was alarming and a tad frightening. The light shone on one side of his face and the darkness hid the other half.

"Goodnight, Ritsuka."

Seimei closed the door as he left, leaving his brother in the darkness.

* * *

A/N: Wow! This chapter ended up being longer than I had planned. Not much important plot stuff happened in this chapter. This chapter's purpose was mainly to show the difference between the old Ritsuka's life and OUR Ritsuka's life. And also to set up the next chapter.

So what did you guys think?

Soubi: I hated this chapter.

Me: SHUT UP, SOUBI! I wasn't even talking to you; I was talking to the readers. And you weren't even in this chapter.

Soubi: I –

Me: Shut up, before you give away the plot! The entire point of a cliffhanger is to leave you, well, hanging!

Anywayz, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, what did you guys think? Please let me know. And please PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE **REVIEW! ***is addicted to reviews*

What's going to happen next? Who is Ritsuka going to meet? Who was Seimei talking to on the phone? Will Ritsuka's dad actually have a name in this fic? And more importantly will I update soon?

Soubi: No.

All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 4 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	4. Before the pain begins

A/N: There's no fooling you guys! I bet you all know what's going to happen in this chapter. You guys probably know exactly where I'm going with this fanfic.

Soubi: No they don't.

Me: I don't know, Soubi. We have some pretty smart readers.

Soubi: You don't even know where you're going with this fanfic, so how would they?

Me: Touché.

**Disclaimer:**

Me: Where's Soubi? Normally he tries to threaten me into admitting that I don't own Loveless.

Soubi: *comes out of nowhere* you just did.

Me: CRAP.

* * *

_Ritsuka had no idea where he was._

_It was dark. A single light shone ahead, illuminating the only other person in the room._

_Who was that? They were too far away and it was too dark to tell who they were._

"_Hello?" Ritsuka said, his voice echoing against the darkness._

_The figure did not respond._

_Slowly, Ritsuka began stepping closer and spoke once more. "Who are you?"_

_Silence…._

_And suddenly the darkness grabbed him. _

_Something gripped him about the waist, tugging him away from the person in front of him. Ritsuka didn't know what was holding on to him, he just knew that he had to get away from it. Had to get to that silent person in front of him. _

_As he struggled, Ritsuka's eyes locked on to the mysterious person. They were still standing there, watching calmly as Ritsuka was dragged away. _

_The sacrifice tried to look up at his attacker but this proved to be pointless. The attacker was shrouded in shadow as well, his face hidden by the darkness…_

* * *

Ritsuka sat straight up in his bed, panting heavily. It took him a few moments to realize that it was just a dream. It was so vivid, so real.

So confusing.

The young boy wiped the perspiration from his forehead and headed for his shower. He let the hot water flow over his body as he relaxed, letting the dream float away from him with the steam.

After he dressed, Ritsuka made his way downstairs into the kitchen where his family was already seated. His mother was happily serving Seimei pancakes and his father was quietly sipping some coffee. Seimei tossed him a smile once he saw him.

"Good morning, Ritsuka," Seimei said with a smile. "Are you ready to go out today?"

Ritsuka nodded happily. "Of course, I…"

Misaki cut him off. "Neither of you are going anywhere until you eat breakfast." She sat another plate of pancakes on the table in Ritsuka's spot. "Eat. Now." Her tone left no room for questions.

Ritsuka quickly tucked into his pancakes, whereas Seimei took his time eating. Their father stood up, bid them a quiet goodbye, and left for work.

Once the brothers were finished eating, they finally left the house. They walked slowly and Ritsuka wasn't entirely sure where they were headed but soon it became clear. They were headed back to the park.

They stopped at the entrance while Seimei glanced around. "Where is he?" the Beloved one questioned aloud. His tone was fairly calm but held a hidden tone of displeasure. Ritsuka found himself glancing around the park, though he had no idea who they were looking for.

But then, he saw _him_.

The man was leaning against one of the picnic tables. His blond hair wasn't quite as long as Ritsuka was used to; it hung past his chin but didn't quite make it over his shoulders. His eyes were the same shade of striking blue but they were softer, not as hard and serious and pain-filled. He was gorgeous.

"Soubi," he whispered to himself.

Seimei led his brother towards the picnic tables and Ritsuka took note of the indifferent expression on his face. Seimei didn't seem particularly happy but he also didn't seem angry or anything. He was just…there. In contrast, Ritsuka was over-whelmed by the amount of emotions he was feeling. He was happy, shocked, confused, amazed.

"Seimei," Soubi murmured as he gave his sacrifice a small submissive bow. Seimei's expression remained neutral, so this behavior was clearly not out of the ordinary.

"Soubi, this is my younger brother Ritsuka. I expect you to treat him with respect and to do as he says. He is important to me."

Soubi nodded and gave the same bow in Ritsuka's direction. "Hello, Ritsuka."

Ritsuka widened his eyes. This was all so…_odd_. "You don't have to bow to me, Soubi. It's not like you're my slave or something."

Soubi's eyes flickered faintly with surprise. He stood up straight but didn't say anything.

Seimei smiled down at his younger brother and took his hand. "C'mon, let's go for a walk." His gaze slowly flicked up towards Soubi. "You can inform me of your visit with Ritsu along the way." His tone left no room for contradiction.

The walk was somewhat awkward. They walked in near silence. Seimei didn't say much to Soubi unless it was an order and Soubi didn't speak unless Seimei spoke to him first. Ritsuka didn't know what to say; the atmosphere was so tense.

"Ritsu recently became aware of some information that he thinks will interest you. He wouldn't tell me what it was; he said that he would allow you to pass the information to me because it is ultimately your decision. He figures that you will call him soon."

Seimei didn't even look at Soubi as he spoke. "Information regarding what?"

Uncertainty colored the blond's features but he quickly put his mask of indifference back on. "Information regarding your brother and…me."

Ritsuka's head snapped up at that. Ritsu had information concerning him and Soubi? What could it be?

Seimei also seemed mildly surprised; he raised an eyebrow. "Hmm…"

For awhile, none of them spoke; each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, though, Seimei broke the silence as cruel smile slid across his face.

"So, Soubi, how was it seeing your old sensei? It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

The fighter's features hardened almost imperceptibly. But Ritsuka noticed. Ritsuka was fairly certain that Seimei was aware of Soubi's difficult relationship with Ritsu. His understandable mixture of hatred and betrayal towards the man was quite obvious in the way he spoke of him. Couldn't Seimei see how difficult this conversation was for Soubi?

_Yes, he could_, Ritsuka realized. He knew how Soubi felt about Ritsu. He knew how much Soubi hated him. He knew what Ritsu had done to him. He understood completely. And yet, he still sent Soubi to talk to Ritsu, he still asked cruel questions like this. Maybe this was Seimei's idea of discipline or something, but Ritsuka just saw it as cruel and heartless.

"Answer me, Soubi," Seimei demanded. Soubi's lack of response had clearly angered him.

"It was fine," Soubi's tone was cold and flat, as were his eyes.

Seimei merely snorted and they continued their walk in silence.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 4 is done! So how did you guys like it? Please please PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews make me happy and they give me incentive to update sooner.

Also, Soubi looks pretty similar to how he did when he was 17. They show what he looked like then in volume 8. On a side note, they also show what he looked like when he was 4 (? I think that's how old he was. Idk.) and he looks sooooo CUTE! *has a fangirl moment*

Soubi: weirdo

Me: pervert

So, what's going to happen next? What does Ritsu want to tell Seimei? Will we find out why Seimei is such a meanie face? Will I update soon? All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 5 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	5. Cutting away the thorns

A/N: So, it took me awhile to determine how I was going to write this chapter. Most elements of this fic are pretty predictable and I briefly toyed around with the idea of changing the plot a little. The end result would be the same, we'd just get there differently. However, I recently realized a very important fact that will become clear much later in the story. Personally, I think it adds a certain element of, _ahem_, surprise to my story.

I will warn you, though: when I originally wrote this chapter, I was a bit unsure as to where the story was going so I tried to keep things vague in case I decided to change the plot a bit. I apologize. So, now that this is out of the way, let's get on with the fic!

**Disclaimer:**

Me: I do not own Loveless.

Soubi: She finally admits it!

Me: I hate you, Soubi.

ENJOY!

* * *

Ritsuka awoke the next morning feeling somewhat confused. Once Seimei had gotten the information he needed from Soubi, he'd sent his fighter away seeing as how he no longer needed him for the time being. Soubi had not even seemed offended by the abrupt dismissal. His expression remained neutral, though Ritsuka could see his face softening and his shoulders relaxing ever-so-slightly. Was it possible that Soubi was relieved, possibly even _happy_, at the thought of getting away from Seimei?

The Loveless one shook his head slightly as he stepped out onto the balcony, still dressed in his pajamas. Though Seimei wasn't always kind, he was sure Soubi didn't mind being around him too much. After all, wouldn't the blond have spoken up if he felt otherwise?

_No, he wouldn't have_, Ritsuka realized. Soubi was not the type to put his own feelings and desires first. Ritsuka could almost picture Soubi's response to his thoughts. The fighter would have given one of his fake calm smiles and said some spiel about how the sacrifice's feelings were the most important, about how sacrifice was the one who needed to be safe, both emotionally and physically. It was all about the _sacrifice_.

Well, fighters made sacrifices as well, didn't they? They gave up their lives, their desires, and, in some cases, their free will just to protect one person for the rest of their live. Didn't they deserve to at least air their grievances occasionally?

It was at that moment that Ritsuka noticed a tall blond man standing just outside of the gate. The sacrifice felt a strange moment of déjà vu. How many times had he looked out a window and seen Soubi standing there, waiting for him patiently? And he would probably continue to do so for the rest of his life.

However, Ritsuka had to remind himself that it was probably Seimei, not him, that Soubi was waiting for.

* * *

The ten-year old crept quietly down the hall. It was still quite early and he didn't want to wake anyone up. He wasn't sure how his family would take it if they knew he was sneaking out of his home this early in the morning to talk to some 18-year-old man he'd technically only spoken to once. His mother would probably be hysterical, thinking he'd approached some rapist. His father would probably be concerned but wouldn't say much. And Seimei? How would he react? Would he care? Ritsuka didn't know.

He was particularly cautious as he walked past Seimei's room. Not only was his older brother a light sleeper, but he was also often the first person awake. Today, apparently, was no exception.

Ritsuka was faintly surprised to hear Seimei's voice coming out of the room and was further surprised to hear that his brother sounded enraged. His voice no longer held its usual strong and gentle cadence. It was loud, harsh, and unforgiving. Ritsuka had not even heard his brother use this tone with Soubi. The tone he used for his fighter was bored and indifferent. This one was just frightening.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Ritsu!" The Beloved one spat out harshly. "Don't you think I would've noticed something like that by now?" There was a short pause as Ritsu replied. "I'm telling you, it's not there!"

It took Ritsuka awhile to walk away from the door. What were they talking about? What could they possibly be discussing that made Seimei this angry? Whatever it was, Ritsuka wasn't sure if he truly wanted to know.

Finally, the young sacrifice made it down the stairs and out the door. Soubi remained perched against the gate, inhaling his nicotine. He seemed to not notice Ritsuka at the moment. For some reason, Ritsuka found that he was unable to move away from the porch step; he could go no further. In all honesty, he didn't know why he came out here. After all, what was there to say? Much like everyone else, this Soubi and his Soubi were probably not the same person. For this Soubi, the physical and emotionally wounds were much fresher. People had not yet sucked away all he had to give; he wasn't empty yet. What words could he offer this person?

Finally, Soubi spoke, "Hello, Ritsuka." So apparently he had noticed him. Soubi, however, did not turn around. His back remained propped against the gate and Ritsuka could not see his face.

For some reason, Soubi felt very…far away from him at this moment, like he couldn't reach him. Ritsuka did not like this feeling in the least.

So he stepped closer, close enough that he could reach out and touch the fighter. But he didn't touch him; he just looked up at him.

"What are you doing here, Soubi? It's really early."

The blond smoker shrugged but didn't turn around. "Seimei told me to stay close by in case he needed me today."

They said nothing more, falling into an empty silence. Soubi merely stared out unseeingly at the street and Ritsuka stared up at him. It was then that he noticed it…

…the bandages around his neck.

Soubi finally turned around, allowing Ritsuka to confirm that…

"They're already there?" Ritsuka exclaimed, surprise evident in his voice. How long, then? How long was it after they had met that Seimei had carved his name into Soubi's skin?

"Wha?" It took Soubi a moment to realize what Ritsuka was talking about but then he saw Ritsuka was looking. His hand flew up to his neck almost unconsciously as understanding washed over him.

"He told you." Soubi's tone of voice was not questioning or even accusatory. It was as though he were stating a fact.

The sacrifice shook his head quickly. "No, I just…" but then he trailed off, unsure of what to say. After all, how else would he know? They'd only met just yesterday and Soubi's neck had been covered even then. He wouldn't know about the scars.

The fighter did not respond, probably assuming that Ritsuka was lying. Perhaps in some vain, useless attempt to protect his older brother? It wasn't as though Soubi cared if Seimei had told his brother. He wouldn't be angry or upset and even if he was, it wasn't as though he would tell anyone. What did it matter?

"May I see it?" Ritsuka asked hesitantly, as though uncertain if he had the right to ask. Soubi did not respond; he just began unraveling the bandages. After all, hadn't Seimei given him the order to do as Ritsuka says?

Ritsuka had to bite back a gasp at the sight. The wounds were fresher than he was used to seeing them. They couldn't have been inflicted more than a few months ago, barely a year ago. The skin surrounding the scars seemed raw and sensitive and the scars themselves were still bright scarlet, as if the slightest aggravation would make them bleed again.

"I'm sorry," Ritsuka said, almost without thinking. Soubi shook his head but didn't respond.

"I'm so sorry. I-I can't believe…" Ritsuka could barely continue. Seeing them years later was one thing; at that point the damage had been done and Soubi had probably already been crushed beyond repair. This was a different matter altogether. There was still something in Soubi, something in him that could feel pain, emotional pain.

"Please, don't apologize, Ritsuka. There is nothing to be sorry for."

"But…" the blond shook his head and turned away from Ritsuka; he was shutting him out. "You should go back inside. Seimei's probably up by now and I'm sure he's looking for you."

Ritsuka sighed and found himself nodding, though Soubi couldn't see him. "Okay. I-I guess I'll see you later?" It came out as a question.

"I guess so."

"Bye, Soubi."

"Goodbye, Ritsuka."

* * *

**(A/N: I almost decided to stop here but it didn't feel finished yet, so I continued.)**

Ritsuka trudged up the stairs slowly, his brain trying to process everything. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't taken much care to be quiet. He hadn't realized that his footsteps were probably quite audible until he was near Seimei's room. He couldn't hear any noise coming from his brother's room, so he was probably no longer on the phone. In fact, the door to Seimei's room was slightly ajar. Ritsuka walked by as quickly and silently as possible, half expected Seimei to suddenly stop him. Thankfully, he made it past undetected.

Ritsuka crept into his own room, briefly peeking in the hallway before closing the door. He let out a quick sigh of relief as he leaned against the door, his eyes closed.

"Good morning, Ritsuka."

The rather sudden sound of someone speaking caused Ritsuka to jump and his eyes snapped open. Someone was sitting on his bed and in the early morning darkness it was difficult to tell who. The voice sounded familiar though…

"Seimei?" The elder brother did not respond but rather looked up at his brother calmly. He did not move from his spot on the bed. "Where have you been, Ritsuka?"

The younger did not respond. Seimei didn't speak either. Instead, he stood up and wandered over towards the sliding doors that led to the balcony.

"You know, Ritsuka," Seimei's tone was almost conversational, "I was always jealous of your balcony. It gives one such a lovely view of the neighborhood. You can even see the front yard from up here. Mother's roses look so beautiful from up here, do they not?"

Understanding washed over Ritsuka. So Seimei had been in his room for quite some time and he had seen him talking to Soubi. So why hadn't he outright mentioned it? Was he waiting for Ritsuka to admit it first? And even so, what did it matter? So what if he was talking to Soubi?

"I love roses, don't you?" The Beloved one continued as he walked away from the balcony and towards his brother. "They're so pretty but they have such pesky thorns." He stood directly next to Ritsuka now and allowed his fingertips to glide over his younger brother's neck. "I guess that's why you have to just cut the thorns away, until there's nothing left but the beautiful rose." And with that, Seimei took his leave, shutting the door behind him.

Ritsuka stood frozen in the same spot, left wondering if Seimei had been speaking of roses or something else.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that last part kind of wrote itself. So what did you guys think? I hope you liked it and even though I keep forgetting to say this in my author's notes, I really appreciate the reviews, alert, and favorites. They make my day and I really hope you guys stick with this story.

So, what will happen next? Um…I'm kinda wondering that myself!

Soubi: Join the club.

This one question will be answered in chapter 6 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	6. Tossing away the butterfly

A/N: I'm really starting to get into this story. A quick warning: I'm not really sure where I'm going with this chapter. I'll just start writing and see what feels right and I guess we'll see where we end up!

Soubi: Are you sure that's wise?

Me: Yeah! What could possibly go wrong?

Soubi: You could crash and burn and this fic could end horribly.

Me: You're not being very positive right now, Sou-chan.

**Disclaimer:**

*sighs* Stephanie does not own Loveless.

Soubi: *pats Stephanie on the head* good girl.

ENJOY!

* * *

Ritsuka sighed and finally moved from where he stood frozen for the past five or so minutes. Seimei's words had troubled him deeply. He was starting to see such a different side of his brother. Rarely had Seimei acted like this after Ritsuka had lost his memories. What had changed? Had seeing his mother abusing his little brother change his attitude? No, Ritsuka didn't think that was it. What was it?

"What changed?" The ten-year-old wondered aloud.

Everything. Ritsuka had become a completely different person. Their mother had, too. And their father. In all honesty, everyone was affected.

Ritsuka sighed once more and headed downstairs. By now, everyone was awake. His mother was groggily but happily bustling about the kitchen. His father was in bathroom shaving and preparing for work. Seimei was sitting on the couch watching television.

For once, Ritsuka didn't really want to be around his brother. Instead, he headed into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Good morning, mother."

Misaki turned around with a pleased look upon her face. "Good morning, Ritsuka!" She reached one hand over and ruffled his hair.

His mother's bubbly disposition still surprised him and even now, he still had to fight the urge to flinch when she touched him. Old habits die hard.

"Ritsuka, could you go get the newspaper from outside?" Misaki asked over her shoulder. "I forgot to grab it this morning when I woke up."

Ritsuka didn't really want to go back outside; he didn't want to go back out there and see Soubi leaning against the gate. But there was no reason for him to _not _go outside – none he could tell his mother, anyway.

"Yes, mother," he said, rising from his seat. He strolled out of the kitchen and past the living room, barely glancing at Seimei. Yet another person he couldn't bear to look at right now.

Ritsuka opened the door and – against his better judgment – he looked at Soubi. The fighter didn't look up or turn around, though he probably heard the door open. His head was bent over something in deep concentration, a cigarette dangling loosely from his mouth. After a few moments of staring, he realized that Soubi was drawing in a sketch book. Suddenly, the fighter turned around, still not looking at Ritsuka, and ripped the page out of the sketchbook. He pressed it into the sacrifice's hand without a word and turned back around.

Suddenly, Seimei came up behind Ritsuka. "Are you okay, Ritsuka? You've been out here for quite some time. C'mon, mom says it's almost time for breakfast." Hurriedly, Ritsuka scooped up the newspaper – using it to hide the piece of paper in his hand – and followed his brother back into the house.

As they walked into the kitchen, Ritsuka quickly tucked the paper into his pocket while Seimei's back was turned.

* * *

"Where are you going?"

After breakfast, Seimei and Ritsuka had gone into the living room and watched some television. Their father had left for work and their mother was busy cleaning in other areas of the home. They'd sat there, unmoving for a few hours, barely even speaking.

But suddenly, in the middle of a commercial, Seimei stood up, put on his shoes and made to leave the house. He didn't answer his little brother's question, so Ritsuka repeated himself.

"Where are you going?"

"Out," this word was spoken nonchalantly.

Ritsuka couldn't stop himself from asking his next question, though it was probably a mistake to do so. "With Soubi?"

Seimei's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "No." He offered no other details and with that he left.

Ritsuka peeked through the window as Seimei walked away. He did not even acknowledge Soubi. It didn't appear that Soubi had spoken either. His head was bowed once more in a show of submissive obedience.

With a sigh, Ritsuka turned back towards the living room and sprawled out on the couch. He tried to focus on the television but it was useless. He kept picturing Soubi standing outside by himself. Suddenly, Ritsuka recalled the piece of paper Soubi had shoved into his hand earlier. He removed it from his pocket and unfolded it.

It was a butterfly.

It was beautiful, though done only with a pencil. Sure, Ritsuka had seen Soubi's art work before but this was different. It really showed just how talented the fighter is, especially considering he'd drawn it while standing out in the hot sun. Soubi hadn't signed the sketch and this was not surprising. He was not the type to seek recognition or demand that people knew of his work.

Before he could change his mind, Ritsuka flung the front door open and invited Soubi in.

* * *

**(A/N: Let's continue, shall we?)**

"Hey! Come inside!"

Soubi's head snapped up when he heard the voice. He turned towards the sound. Ritsuka stood in door frame with an uncertain look on his face. Soubi didn't do or say anything; he just looked at the boy.

"I-It's hot outside, so I figured you might want to come in," the young boy amended.

Soubi looked at him with an equally uncertain look on his face. It would be okay to go inside, right? After all, Seimei had told him to do as Ritsuka said. Would he be angry if he went in? He never let Soubi into his life, let alone his home, so wouldn't this be a large intrusion on privacy? Perhaps he was over-thinking it. Soubi strode towards the door and Ritsuka stepped back slightly to let him in.

Ritsuka looked up at the fighter, both surprised and pleased that he had chosen to come in. As they entered the living room, Ritsuka gestured towards the couch. "Have a seat." Soubi sat down without a word and Ritsuka went into the kitchen.

As he poured Soubi a glass of water, a million thoughts seemed to swirl around in his head. Why had he let Soubi in the house? He was Seimei's fighter, not his. If Seimei had wanted him in the house, he would have invited him in house. What gave Ritsuka the right to tell Soubi what to do? That was Seimei's job. However, there was a faint contradictory niggling in the back of his mind that told him this was the right thing to do. It was cruel to leave Soubi standing out there. He would like to think that if their situations were reversed, Soubi would do the same for him.

Feeling more resolved in his decision, Ritsuka strolled back into the living room and handed Soubi the glass of water. "Thank you, Ritsuka." Ritsuka merely nodded and sat on the couch next to him.

* * *

Seimei walked past Soubi, barely even glancing at him. His fighter didn't say anything but he did bow his head as a sign of respect and acknowledgement. Seimei rounded the corner and walked towards their neighbor's house, waiting.

A few moments later, he could faintly hear Ritsuka telling Soubi to come in the house. He was unsurprised by this; he'd figured Ritsuka would do something like this. What did surprise him was that Soubi actually listened to him! Sure, he'd told the fighter to do as Ritsuka said, but there were certain boundaries – certain areas of his life – that Soubi was not to be a part of. He'd never allowed Soubi in their home. Seimei made a quick mental note to tell Soubi that he was never to enter their home again.

With that, Seimei walked away. After all, it was rude to keep people waiting, was it not?

* * *

Ritsuka held up the drawing to Soubi but didn't say anything. Thankfully, Soubi spoke first. "Do you like it?" His voice held no longing for approval or recognition. It seemed as though he were asking just because it was the expected thing to do.

Ritsuka nodded. "It's wonderful, Soubi. I can't believe you stood outside and drew this. Did it take long?" Who knew how long Soubi had been drawing since he'd left.

The blond gave a noncommittal shrug. "It's not as though I had anything else to do."

"Have you ever considered doing art for living? You're quite good."

The fighter took a sip of his water. "Not really. It's never occurred to me."

Ritsuka's eyes widened. "Really? You should, Soubi."

"But if I was drawing or painting all the time, wouldn't I get tired of it? Would I be doing it because I enjoyed it or because I was good at it?" A vague half-smile graced his features. "I would probably abandon it after awhile."

"But why would you do that?" Ritsuka protested. "What's the point? That's so fleeting."

"It's human nature to be fleeting, Ritsuka. Things are constantly cast aside in favor of something better. People, hobbies, possessions. Nothing ever holds the same spot in your heart forever. You tire of things after awhile, especially once they become expected of you." Soubi seemed almost wistful, as though he were thinking of something else.

Ritsuka did not like the turn their conversation had taken. It was close to becoming dark and unpleasant. Where was the light meaningless chitchat from before?

"If people expected me to paint or draw beautiful things, I don't think I'd want to paint or draw beautiful things," Soubi whispered, mostly to himself, but Ritsuka managed to hear him.

They sat in silence for awhile, until Ritsuka broke it in an almost desperate attempt to get that sad, thoughtful look off of Soubi's face. "Well, at least take a class or something. Then you can have hobby, you know? Learn stuff, make friends, things like that." Ritsuka was aware that he sounded like some mother asking her lonely child to play with the other kids.

Soubi genuinely considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. One day, some day, I'll take one of those art classes."

They fell back into the quite once more, but this was more of peaceful, comfortable silence rather than an awkward one. Suddenly, a voice interrupted the silence.

"Ritsuka!"

* * *

A/N: Ah, this is probably my worse cliffhanger yet, in any story. I'm so cruel. I hope this doesn't make you guys annoyed or anything. This just seemed like a good place to stop. Soo…yeah. Thanks for the reviews and alerts and favorites! I really really REALLY appreciate them. They make me so happy. Oh, also Ritsuka's dad _still_ doesn't have name yet, so if you guys have any suggestions please let me know.

Sooooo, what's going to happen next? Who just walked into the room? Will I update quickly?

Soubi: No.

All of these –

Soubi: Wait a minute. What about the secret Seimei stuff? Who is he going to meet up with? You neglected to mention that, Heartache-chan.

Me: Hehe, you noticed that, huh? Yeah, in all honesty, I have _no_ idea where I'm going with that. That was NOT in the original chapter outline I wrote up.

Soubi: *sighs* why am I not surprised?

All of these questions and more will (hopefully) be answered in chapter 7 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	7. Possesion

A/N: Okay, let's try this again. Sooo…this is actually my second attempt at writing this chapter. I decided to write this chapter a little differently, so I started a whole other word document. Eh he. Let's see how this turns out.

Soubi: Heartache-chan, shouldn't you be a little more, ahem, organized with these things. It's been awhile since you've updated.

Me: I know, Sou-chan, but I've been so busy with school. Physics + me = ULTIMATE EPIC FAIL

**Disclaimer:**

Soubi: Heartache-chan, does not own Loveless but she _does_ own a failing grade in physics.

Soubi, that's not true! I think I have a B minus! :-P

ENJOY!

* * *

Nisei sighed as he and Nagisa-sensei entered the small café. The older woman had chattered in his ear excitedly the entire car ride here and, honestly, he was getting tired of it. Thankfully, though, he managed to tune her out.

Surprisingly, Nisei was not nearly as excited to meet his sacrifice as he should've been. He didn't mind spell battles – actually he quite enjoyed them. He didn't even have a probably with serving his sacrifice. He was just indifferent. The only thing he cared about was winning. Losing was _not_ an option.

According to the over-aged Lolita, his sacrifice technically already had a fighter, Agatsuma Soubi, who was practically a legend back at Seven Moons. As it turned out, though, Soubi was actually meant to be the fighter of the sacrifice's brother, a young boy named Aoyagi Ritsuka, who probably had no knowledge of fighters and sacrifices in the first place.

Nisei was able to spot Aoyagi Seimei immediately. Though he was only about fourteen or fifteen, he had an air of maturity about him. The teenager was sitting at a table, calmly sipping a cup of tea. There wasn't a doubt in Nisei mind that this was the boy who commanded the great Agatsuma. His suspicions were confirmed when Nagisa approached him.

"Aoyagi Seimei-kun?" The green haired woman inquired and Seimei nodded. Nagisa extended a hand to shake the sacrifice's. "I'm Nagisa-sensei, an instructor at Seven Moons Academy and this," here she gestured to the older fighter, "is Akame Nisei. He's going to be your new fighter."

Seimei gestured for the two to sit down before he finally spoke. Neither he nor Nisei bother to shake the other's hand. "With all due respect, Nagisa-san, I don't think I'll be requiring Nisei-kun's services." Nisei snorted at the way Seimei addressed them, but he did not speak upon it.

Seimei continued. "Ritsuka is _not_ a sacrifice; his name isn't anywhere on his body. Therefore, Soubi is still my fighter. I marked him. He's _mine_."

Nisei smirked cheekily and spoke up before Nagisa could reply. "With all due respect, Seimei-_kun_," the fighter mocked, "Your name hasn't appeared on your body yet either."

Seimei narrowed his eyes but smiled slightly in approval; it wasn't everyday that someone outright contradicted him. He might one day have use for this boy after all. "You're quite bold, Nisei. Someone should teach you some respect." The authoritative sacrifice stared at Nisei for another moment before returning his attention to Nagisa. "As I said, sensei, Soubi is my sacrifice and I plan to keep him." Nagisa stared at the sacrifice, outraged. "Seimei-kun! He's not yours to keep! Seimei-kun!"

Seimei ignored the woman and stood up, heading for the door. On his way out, he whispered to the dark-haired fighter. "We'll be in touch…Nisei-kun."

* * *

Ritsuka stared at the archway separating the living room from the rest of the house. There, with a large kitchen knife in her hand, was his mother. Her eyes were large and wild, with fear evident in them.

"Ritsuka! Who is this man? Do you know him?" She demanded, gesturing at Soubi with knife. Ritsuka stood up hastily, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "Calm down, mother," he said as calmly as possible. "He's just Seimei's friend. He was standing outside waiting for him, so I let him in…"

Misaki stormed over and pushed Ritsuka behind her. "How do you know he's really Seimei's friend?" Her words were aimed at her son but she stood facing Soubi. "He could be a sexual predator for all we know."

Finally, Soubi rose from his spot, a calm smile on his face. "I assure you ma'am, I'm not a rapist but it was rude of me to intrude upon your home." Ritsuka saw his mother hesitating, uncertain after seeing Soubi's fake, charming smile. "I will leave now," Soubi bowed to Misaki respectfully and flashed Ritsuka a small genuine smile before leaving.

The second the door closed, Misaki sighed heavily. She placed the knife on the coffee table and sunk onto the couch heavily. She reached out a hand for Ritsuka and the young boy clasped his mother's hand before sinking into the couch with her. "I'm still not sure about that boy, Ritsuka, but I will ask Seimei about him." Misaki gazed at her son seriously. "But I can't believe you did something so reckless! You had me worried sick when I saw you in here with some strange man. That's not like you. My Ritsuka would never do something so stupid!"

_My Ritsuka_

That's right, he wasn't her Ritsuka. Though the words were not said threateningly, purely out of concern, Ritsuka couldn't help the flood of emotions and memories that washed over him.

* * *

Soubi leaned against the gate smoking a cigarette, a smirk making its way across his face. He had been quite surprised when Ritsuka and Seimei's mother had walked into the room with a kitchen knife, but he hadn't been afraid. He could have easily subdued the woman, need be – though Ritsuka probably wouldn't have taken to kindly to that. Soubi smiled gently at the thought of the young boy.

_Ritsuka_

Soubi sensed his sacrifice in the vicinity and a few moments later he came strolling around the corner. Neither fighter nor sacrifice spoke to each other or acknowledged each other in anyway. However, Seimei paused before Soubi and before the fighter could even speak, he delivered a sudden blow across his cheek. Years of training kept Soubi from blocking the blow even though he could clearly see it coming. The slap didn't hurt much but the knowledge that he'd displeased his sacrifice did.

Seimei frowned, slightly disappointed that Soubi hadn't cried out or even looked shocked. Maybe it was true. Maybe the great Agatsuma Soubi really could feel nothing.

Seimei walked away and left Soubi staring ahead unthinkingly. Soubi took another drag of his cigarette and gazed up at the clear blue sky.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter but my brain is DEAD. Next chapter will be better and I even have a surprise for you guys. It's a non-yaoi surprise but I'm excited about it myself. I will try to get chapter 8 up either later tonight, this afternoon, or tomorrow morning.

I forgot who, but one of you guys promised me a chocolate covered Soubi if I updated. Can I has him nao? Pwease?

Soubi: mmm…I might have to kill one of your reviewers.

Me: Sou-chan, don't say that! You're gonna scare them away. Anyway…so, what will happen next? Will my special surprise really be as awesome as I hope? Will I actually get chapter 8 out tonight? All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 8 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	8. Blood cuts through the night

A/N: Yay! Another chapter! Woot! We're getting closer and closer to this story's climatic end!

Soubi: Really?

No! We have a bunch more to cover, but it was fun making you think I was almost done torturing you and Ritsuka. Hehe…

Sooo…I'm almost afraid to mention this _now_, but…I'm going to anyway. I was looking over some of my chapter outlines and I realized that, based on how I want to finish this story, there _**may**_ be a sequel after this one. I'll be able to confirm this when we get closer to the end.

Soubi: Oh god. You're telling me we might have to go through this crappy disclaimer argument throughout ANOTHER story!

Me: Don't complain, Sou-chan! The sequel won't be as evil to you as this one is so far. It's not even a guaranteed thing yet.

Soubi: It better not be. You need to finish this thing in ONE fic.

Me: (in a whisper) yeah, one long ass fic.

**Disclaimer:**

Soubi: Heartache-chan does NOT, I REPEAT, **NOT** own Loveless, nor will she ever own it. She doesn't deserve it and will die without ever owning super cute bishies that she likes to force into homosexual relationships.

Me: Goddamn you, Soubi! Are you that pissed about the potential sequel? Besides, I don't see you _complaining_ about being with Ritsuka, so I don't think I'm forcing you all that much.

Soubi: *walks away, muttering* gonna kill that damn fangirl one of these days.

Erm…ENJOY! I guess…

* * *

Misaki and Ritsuka were sitting contentedly on the couch watching television. Hearing a faint _beep_, Misaki stood up, bustling towards the kitchen to check on dinner. Ritsuka heard the faint _click_ of the door being unlocked and looked up curiously. He turned his head just in time to see Seimei slipping through the front door.

"Seimei!" their mother exclaimed as she re-entered the living room. "I almost didn't think you were going to be home in time for dinner."

"I would never miss dinner, mother," Seimei stepped further into the room, near the couch. His fingers brushed lightly over Ritsuka's ears. "Besides, Ritsuka and I have barely spent any time together all day." Ritsuka smiled up at his older brother, but it didn't feel as natural as it usual.

"Oh, that reminds me." Misaki tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. "I think a friend of yours stopped by. Soubi was his name, I think? Ritsuka let him in. Do you know him?"

The calm smile remained on the Beloved one's face, but his eyes turned cold. "Yes, I know him."

Ritsuka watched his brother's expression closely. Everything about him changed when he talked about Soubi, and not in a good way. Did he hate his fighter? Was he disgusted by him or ashamed of him? It didn't make sense. How could he treat Soubi the way he did? How could he treat anyone like that?

"Ah, so he _is_ a friend of yours!" she exclaimed happily. However, her countenance twisted into a confused frown once Seimei shook his head.

"Soubi is no friend of mine," softly, he murmured, "he's not even worth my time."

Why? Why does he say these things? Why is he so…?

"Why do you treat him so terribly?"

Both Misaki and Seimei turned their heads to Ritsuka in surprise. Seimei sighed, "Ritsuka…"

"No!" the Loveless one gasped quietly. "Soubi blindly follows you and does as you command, but you treat him like he's nothing! You hurt him again and again, and you don't even care!"

"Soubi is heartless. He doesn't have any feelings to hurt." Seimei's eyes cold but his voice held a certain sympathetic warmth. The older sacrifice bent down to Ritsuka's eyes level and cupped his cheek. "You have a kind heart, Ritsuka, but you'll only hurt him by pretending to care about him."

"I thought you said he didn't have any feelings to hurt," the young boy spat. He stepped away from his brother's hand and ran out the door.

* * *

Soubi exhaled deeply, allowing the cigarette smoke to twirl into the surprisingly cool night air. His feet moved silently against the park's lush grass and a light breeze blew his blond hair away from his face. The fighter took a seat at one of the picnic tables.

Seimei hadn't hit him very hard; his cheek had stung for a few minutes, but he didn't have a bruise or anything. After that, Soubi hadn't stuck around. He returned to his apartment and tried to relax but was unable to. He was tense and there was some pent-up emotion inside of his heart. He wasn't sure what to call it. It made him uncomfortable.

Soubi snorted to himself quietly. _It seems that no matter how hard I try, I'll never truly be able to feel nothing._

His thoughts shifted to Ritsuka. Soubi could honestly say that he'd never met anyone like him. He was strong, full of life, with a careful heart. He cared about people and treated them all gently, whether they deserved to be treated as such or not. And Soubi himself certainly didn't deserve such gentleness.

Soubi was pulled from his thoughts at the faint sound of rapid footsteps. The fighter focused on the running figure. He stood up as soon as he recognized him. "Ritsuka? It's late. What are you doing here?"

Ritsuka stared up at Soubi's concerned blue eyes. He was captivated. It felt like only they existed, only they mattered. Seimei didn't matter; his parents didn't matter; there was only Soubi. He wished the fighter would look at him like that forever.

Soubi flinched almost imperceptibly as his senses flared. _Damn, they're close._ He needed to get Ritsuka out of here now. The blond grabbed Ritsuka by the hand and began pulling him towards the park entrance. "Never mind. We need to get you home. Now."

Ritsuka's amethyst eyes widened at the urgency in the fighter's tone. "Soubi? What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Nothing."

The sacrifice winced, before stopping in his tracks. "No! Don't lie to me!" he exploded. "You always lie to me! I guess you think you're protecting me, but you're not! It only hurts when you lie to me. Soubi, it hurts."

Soubi's sad blue eyes reflected confusion and Ritsuka quickly realized his mistake. However, before either of them had a chance to speak, a voice called out to them. "Well, well. If it isn't the great Agatsuma Soubi."

Ritsuka whirled around. Before them stood a boy and a girl, both about 17 years old. The boy had silvery-white hair and jade green eyes. The girl's hair was a long, silky black and her eyes were a warm familiar brown. Ritsuka couldn't help but feel that he'd seen her before.

The girl spoke, "I'm Ayama, "she gestured to her fighter, "and this is Asahara. Battle us." Ayama smiled kindly.

When she smiled, Ritsuka recognized her immediately. She looked like a slightly older version than…Mako. Same hair, same eyes, same mannerisms. They were probably sisters.

Soubi gently pushed Ritsuka behind him. "Very well. I accept."

Ayama shook her head and winked teasingly. "Nuh uh, Sou-chan. You have to have a sacrifice. It has to be a fair fight."

Soubi opened his mouth to protest but Ritsuka cut him off. "Fine, we'll battle you." The small boy clasped the fighter's warm hand in his own. Soft amethyst eyes gazed into surprised blue ones. _Its okay, Soubi. You don't have to do things alone. I'm here._ Ritsuka smiled at their opponents confidently.

"We are _Loveless_!"

* * *

Seimei walked out of the house, his mother's frantic voice fading away as he shut the door. Ritsuka's reaction definitely caught him off guard, and it was very worrying. Did he care about Soubi? Did he _like_ him? Unacceptable. Ritsuka wasn't allowed to like anyone but him.

He should've known that introducing Soubi to Ritsuka was a mistake. Ritsuka was too caring for his own good, too invested in people that weren't worth his time. And honestly, if there was anyone that Seimei wanted to keep Ritsuka from getting close to, it was Soubi. They would talk and Soubi would tell him about all the horrible things Seimei had done. Ritsuka would know that maybe there was more to his sweet older brother than he thought. Already he'd been in too many situations lately that revealed his true colors. Tonight was just a glimpse of things to come.

The Beloved sacrifice made his way to the park. It was the place Ritsuka was most likely to go. His younger brother had always seemed most comfortable there. Now that he thought about it, so had Soubi.

Seimei felt a slight twinge on his senses. Someone was engaged in a spell battle, and from what he could tell, Soubi was involved. The raven-haired teenager crept through the trees, following aura of the fighters and sacrifices. He stopped in his tracks, though, when he saw Soubi…and Ritsuka.

"Defeat them, Soubi," Ritsuka said softly, his small hand enclosed by Soubi's larger one. The blond fighter slowly removed his glasses and turned his sharp blue eyes to the enemy.

"Loneliness, enclose the enemy like an embrace. Suffocating and never-ending." Soubi's deep voice cut through the night with confidence.

"Love!" Asahara shouted back. "Cut through loneliness like a knife! Slash it, until only you remain!"

Thick silver chains cut through the night and wrapped around the Loveless pair. Ritsuka let out a surprised gasp of pain as the restrictions tightened around his wrists.

Seimei clenched his fists, and his dark eyes narrowed. How could Soubi be so _stupid_? How could he allow Ritsuka – his precious Ritsuka – to be involved in a spell battle? A faint niggling of curiosity broke through the anger. More importantly, how was Ritsuka able to participate in a spell battle in the first place?

"Ritsuka, are you okay?" Soubi's soft voice jolted Seimei out of his thoughts. Ritsuka smile at the blond as reassuringly as possible. "I'm fine, Soubi. Just win…for me."

Soubi's graceful fingers came up to his neck and began unraveling the bandages. Asahara and Ayama both gasped, and Ritsuka had to bite back an expletive. Seimei merely smirked from his hiding spot in the forest. The scarred words on Soubi's neck bled profusely, such to the point that Ritsuka could barely see the scars. This was the consequence of his betrayal. A punishment for fighting with someone who was not his sacrifice.

Ritsuka brought his small chained hand up to his fighter's neck and gently touched the bloodied skin. "Does it hurt?" the little boy whispered.

Soubi didn't answer. He just gently cupped Ritsuka's cheek and bent down until their bodies were flush against each other. "Give me strength, Ritsuka," Soubi murmured. Then he leaned down and captured Ritsuka's lips in gentle kiss.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I know. I'm late. Really late. But real life got in the way and it needed to be dealt with immediately!

Soubi: Yeah, right. We all know you got distracted by your other stories.

Me: Shut up, Soubi! Anyway, here's chapter 8. Please REVIEW and…err…keep reading this story!

So what will happen next? How will Seimei react to that little kiss? Will Soubi and Ritsuka win the spell battle? Will I actually update in a timely manner?

Soubi: No.

All these questions and more will be answered in chapter 9 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	9. Absolute

__

A/N: -_- And so, I blindly begin another chapter. I'm…nervous about this chapter for some reason. Maybe it's because Soubi was glaring at me the entire time I was writing it.

Soubi: That's because you're evil.

**Disclaimer:**

Gahh! I need a freakin' blanket! I'm soooo cold!

Soubi: What does that have to do with you not owning Loveless?

Me: Nothing, I just needed to get that moment out of my system.

ENJOY!

* * *

Soubi pulled away from the kiss and stared down at Ritsuka. The sacrifice was wide-eyed, his cheeks were a little pink, and his lips were moist and flushed. The fighter smiled at him, before returning his attention to the enemy.

"Pain smothers love. Suffocates and controls it. Love does not matter. It no longer exists, for pain swoops in during its absence. Pain holds you down until you can no longer move. _An absolute restriction_." Ritsuka shivered as Soubi's deep voice snuck through the night. Almost immediately, the bonds came rushing through the air, aiming for Ayama and Asahara. "Defend!" Ayama ordered of her fighter, but it was too late. Restraints cut into their wrists, ankles, and neck. They tightened to the point of bleeding.

Ayama fell to her knees, and Asahara was at her side in an instant. "Ayama, are you okay?" The fighter's nervous green eyes flickered upward to Soubi, nervous that he would cast another attack at them. "W-we can retreat, you know," Asahara whispered gently to his sacrifice.

"No," the battered girl muttered. _"Defeat them."_

The pale haired boy pulled Ayama up carefully, mindful of her wounds. She was forced to lean entirely on her fighter.

Soubi looked at the teenagers with respectful eyes. "You still wish to fight?"

Neither answered right away, but almost simultaneously they pulled back their bangs, revealing the name embedded on the skin of their foreheads. Their voices came out in unison, "We are _Hopeless_. A disparity so great, it leaves you empty." Their voices sound almost hollow, and a slight breeze passed through their area of the park. Ritsuka shivered and held on tighter to Soubi.

Soubi remained unaffected, as always. His mouth curved into a small smile. "Too bad I'm already empty."

It was at that exact moment that the bonds wrapped around Ritsuka shattered. The force of it caused the boy to stumble back a few steps. The restrictions wrapped tightly instead. Ritsuka gasped when he realized what his fighter had done. Soubi had forced him out of the battle.

"Destruction," Soubi's cold voice pierced through the night. "Absolute destruction. Destruction of mind, body, and heart. Absolute destruction."

The world began falling apart around them. Trees tumbled, and went smashing into the ground with great force. Ritsuka himself was unaffected, seeing as he was no longer a part of the battle. Crumbled bark hit Soubi, Ayama, and Asahara. The Hopeless pair screamed and tried to fight back, but there was nothing they could do against Soubi. Ritsuka screamed at his fighter but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Something was different about Soubi, but Ritsuka wasn't quite sure what.

A familiar voice shook the little sacrifice out of his horrified state. "So you're going to try to kill yourself as punishment? How cowardly."

Seimei stepped into the clearing and continued to watch the chaos with slightly amused eyes. "Are you that afraid to face me, Soubi?" the Beloved one spoke softly, but he knew the fighter could hear him just fine. "Stop this. Now."

The blond mouthed out a few words, too softly for anyone to hear. Immediately, it was like someone hit pause on a movie. The trees stopped in their destructive path, frozen in the air. The wind within the battle was finally calm and still. Absolute silence.

Ritsuka began running towards Soubi, but Seimei grabbed his arm to halt his progress. "Soubi!" the Beloved one called out sharply. "Kill them! They tried to hurt Ritsuka, and for that they must die. Get rid of Hopeless!"

"No, Soubi! You can't!" Ritsuka cried. "Don't do it! I order you not to do it!" He knew he should probably stop talking. He was slipping up. Soubi wasn't his fighter, but he couldn't just allow him to kill Ayama and Asahara.

Soubi's words were impossibly soft. Ritsuka was unable to hear him, but he was able to read the slow movements of the fighter's mouth.

_Seimei's word is absolute._

* * *

_Flashback_

Asahara had regarded his sacrifice with an oblivious look when she said she wanted to challenge the great Agatsuma Soubi to a spell battle. "What?" Ayama asked, with a cheeky half smile on her face. "Don't you think it would be fun?"

"I'm sorry, Ayama," Asahara had responded regretfully, "but I don't think I'm strong enough to defeat him."

Ayama ruffled the fighter's white blond hair. "Silly, this isn't about winning or losing. It's about excitement! It's about that rush you get when you engage in a spell battle. The thrill of a challenge!"

"And if we die?" Asahara murmured in complete seriousness. His sacrifice's dark brown eyes searched his green ones before she replied quietly with, "Then I'm sure God or the devil will welcome us with open arms."

* * *

Asahara clutched Ayama in his arms tightly. The sacrifice tiredly rested her head against his shoulder. Ayama groaned at the pain of her restrictions before letting out a chuckle at the words Seimei spoke to his fighter. "Hehe, if only I had gotten an opportunity to kill you first, Aoyagi Seimei. Your cruelty astounds me."

Seimei smirked at Ayama's words but did not speak.

Soubi's hair blew in his face, keeping his blue eyes from sight. His lips were pressed together in a flat line, before parting to speak damning words.

"Death, envelope them. Trap them in silence." His voice held no emotion.

Asahara moved in front of Ayama, more so out of instinct than anything else. It wouldn't matter anyway. Their fates had been sealed the moment Seimei had given the order.

Ritsuka grabbed his brother's arm. "Seimei! Stop him! I understand that you're upset, but they don't deserve to die! See? I'm fine! They didn't hurt me at all! So stop this, Seimei. Please." Ritsuka watched as Seimei's eyes, normally so calming and passive, flashed with something akin to anger. He wasn't sure if the anger was directed at him or Soubi.

"You won't allow me to protect you, Ritsuka?" the older brother fought to keep his voice calm. However, he was unable to fight back the sneer that formed on his face as he turned his attention to the battle before him. "How ungrateful."

The Loveless sacrifice jumped away from his brother, finally managing to twist away from his grip. Ritsuka's violet eyes peered into his brother's matching ones, disbelief and denial quite plain in their depths. "Seimei, at least consider how this will affect Soubi. How do you think he'll feel afterward? How do you think he'll be able to live with himself, knowing he killed unnecessarily?"

"Why do you care so much about Soubi, Ritsuka? You've only known him for two days. It doesn't matter. Soubi is merely a possession, something that can be replaced if need be. But you, Ritsuka; there's only you. If you stop existing there's no one to take your place. There's only you."

Ritsuka tensed and whirled around when he heard an awful shriek. There, in a whirlwind of darkness, stood Hopeless. Shadows brushed against their skin, leaving a trail of red in its wake. Ayama screamed as she held on to Asahara as tightly as possible. And finally, the dark wind stopped, leaving Hopeless behind, lying in a pool of red.

There was complete silence.

Soubi's long blond locks lay over his face like a protective covering. An unsettled gust of wind pushed the hair away revealing blank cerulean eyes. No emotion was reflected within those eyes.

Finally, Seimei broke the silence. "You have disappointed me a lot today, Soubi. You pledge yourself to always follow my commands and yet you continuously step out of line and cross boundaries. Apparently, it was a mistake to allow you to interact with Ritsuka. I cannot allow him to be around someone who allows him to be harmed."

Ritsuka stepped towards his older brother. "Seimei, Soubi did his best. I don't see – ," he was cut off. The older sacrifice draped an arm around the younger's shoulders. "Soubi needs to better understand his place. Regardless, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this. C'mon, were going home, Ritsuka." Seimei tugged his brother away. Ritsuka couldn't help the uneasiness that made itself known in his heart, further deepened when he looked back and saw a lone silver tear track on the fighter's flawless face.

* * *

A/N: *flails* wow. Well that was an emo chapter if I've ever seen one. Yeah, I'm not in the greatest mood right now. Well, at least I got the chapter out sooner this time around?

Soo, what's gonna happen next? Will the next chapter be less angsty? Will the plot for this story finally start to seem a little less random? Will I get the next chapter out within a week?

Soubi: Definitely not.

All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 10 of TIMELESS!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


	10. Ambivalent Silence

A/N: *slowly crawls out of hole and chuckles nervously* Hey guys! *waves hesitantly* Long time…no update, huh?

Soubi: That's the biggest understatement of the century *smirks*

Shut up, Sou-chan! Hmph! Anyway, I really feel like I owe you guys an explanation. Unfortunately, I don't have one…I have, like, twelve. Yeah, A LOT of stuff has happened in the past few months.

Soubi: You know what didn't happen, though? Updates.

Ugh. Sorry guys. I wish I could say that I'll be updating more now, but that may not be the case. This is my senior year, so I'm juggling so much right now. Please bear with me, though! I will do my best to update!

**Disclaimer:**

Soubi: Say it yourself. This is your punishment for neglecting your stories.

Me: *cries* I don't own Loveless!

Soubi: Good girl.

ENJOY!

* * *

Ritsuka tugged away from Seimei's arm, desperately fighting against his brother. Seimei held fast onto his brother. He knew that the second he released him, the little boy would up and running back to Soubi. So the Beloved sacrifice decided to stop him in another way. "Ritsuka, do you love me?"

Ritsuka froze, eyes widening in surprise. "I…of course, I love you, Seimei. You're my brother. It's just… I don't always understand, Seimei. I don't understand why you treat Soubi the way you do. I don't understand why you can't see how hard he tries just to please. And… I don't understand how you can look at him like he's nothing," Ritsuka murmured these last words softly, violet eyes downcast as he was unable to meet Seimei's unwavering gaze.

"He is nothing." The younger brother flinched at the cold, factual tone in his brother's voice. Instead of arguing back, Ritsuka remained silent, his soft pale lips mashing together. It would be useless. Because no matter how hard he tried to tell Seimei he was wrong, no matter what desperate and imploring words he offered his brother, Seimei would always continue to see Soubi as a play thing. He wouldn't see what Ritsuka saw – a lonely, resigned soul who's thought his only purpose in life was to serve. Instead Seimei only saw yet another possession meant to be manipulated until it could work no longer.

Ritsuka was torn out of his thoughts by his brother's following words. "I am sorry, Ritsuka. I've allowed you to waste your time with someone who does not matter." The Beloved one stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his younger brother. "I won't allow it to happen again. I promise." Resting a warm hand against his little brother's tiny shoulder, Seimei gently urged him forward in the direction of their home. Ritsuka remained silent the entire time.

* * *

Soubi was alone with his tears.

Silver trails of warm liquid fell against his frozen face, and the fighter pressed a hand against them disbelievingly. He could only recall crying once before in his entire life. After his parents died, all other tears seemed useless, not to mention tears were only a visible sign of weakness. He refused to show any further weakness, especially not around Ritsu.

Ritsu. Perhaps he could blame his current situation on his former teacher. Perhaps he was the real reason Soubi was alone and hopeless with only cold, bloody corpses to keep him company. Perhaps Ritsu was the real reason he wanted to scream but could not. Maybe, Ritsu was the reason he was so silent.

At the thought, a desperate sob pressed against his throat, though he quickly suppressed it. It was as though he'd never grown up but simply remained a frightened sniveling child all of his life. He may have grown taller, more powerful, and faster, but he felt just as lost and foolish as he had the night he first met Ritsu. It seemed that no matter how much he fooled himself into believing he was stronger, he was not. He was still just a child – one who'd seen too many horrors of the world but a child nonetheless.

Soubi quietly approached the bodies of the fallen Hopeless pair, not bothering to dry his eyes. He stopped a few centimeters shy of the dried blood-stained dirt that their bodies rested against. At the sight of their pale lifeless eyes, a few more tears hit the ground. Blank, vacant eyes just like his mother's. For the first time in years, Soubi didn't feel quite as a numb. A twisted form of relief filled his heart, though bitter disappointment was soon alongside it. He wasn't dead; he could still feel. He wasn't able to shut everything out yet.

"This…was the first time," the blond muttered to himself, throat uncomfortably tight. "And for something so useless." Long slender fingers rubbed at the dried blood on his neck. So much unnecessary blood. It was everywhere, painting the world red. His blood, his parents' blood, Asahara's blood, Ayama's blood – but never the blood of those who deserved it. Never Ritsu's blood. Never Seimei's blood.

Soubi winced. His nails dug into the messy half-healed name etched into his skin. "I shouldn't speak of my sacrifice that way. I should love him." After a moment's pause, he corrected himself. "I do love him. I love him. I love him," the fighter rambled under his breath. "All of this is for Seimei, for his happiness. It's worth it. It's for Seimei. It's for Beloved."

Finally, he pulled his hand away from his neck. He leaned forward, careful of the blood, and closed the eyes of his dead opponents. Faint traces of his blood clung to their eyelashes. Soubi took another step back, his blank sapphire eyes simply staring. At last he spoke, "I'm sorry." With a quick, static motion, he tossed his hand over the dead fighter and sacrifice. "Burn."

Starting from the tips of his fingers, a spark flared to life, jumping onto Ayama's skin and igniting into a raucous black flame. It traveled up to the ends of her blood-stained hair and skittered across her palms to Asahara's outstretched hands. The inky fire caressed them entirely, engulfing them until only silver glittering ash remained.

_What have I done?_

* * *

Beneath the warm embrace of his sheets, Ritsuka jumped as a light tapping noise sounded from his balcony door. The raven-haired sacrifice sat up immediately, surprised to see a familiar shadowy figure at his window. He rushed over to the glass doors, pushing them open as quietly as possible. As he pushed aside the door and the curtains, the moonlight rushed forward to illuminate his mysterious visitor. And there stood Soubi, blood-stained and shaking.

"Ritsuka," the fighter whispered reverently as soon as the glass barrier was pushed aside.

"Soubi," Ritsuka cried softly, immediately wrapping his petite arms around Soubi's waist. The dejected blond allowed his long graceful fingers to tangle throughout the young sacrifice's deep silky fringe. Soubi kneeled so he was eye level with Ritsuka. The ten year old latched his arms around Soubi's neck, amethyst eyes locked on the painful cobalt orbs in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, Soubi," Ritsuka whispered, fighting to keep his voice low and in control. "I'm sorry for what Seimei made you do. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him. I can't even imagine how you must be feeling, how you must be hurting. You don't deserve this, Soubi. You don't deserve any of this," he spoke fervently and tearfully. Finally, a pair of calloused fingers covered his gentle moist lips.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Ritsuka." Soubi smiled, though the gesture was clearly unnatural and faked. "None of what occurred tonight was your fault. If anything, it was mine. Regardless of what Ayama insisted, I should not have allowed you to battle." Ritsuka opened his mouth to protest, but Soubi interjected once more. "What occurred tonight cannot be altered, and there is no use in placing blame. I am not here to argue technicalities with you, Ritsuka." Soubi smiled once more, and finally a faint glimmer of amusement reached him eyes. He pulled the sacrifice's hands away from his neck. "However, I do owe _you_ an apology." The fighter gently ran the pads of his fingers against the faint bruises that marred the skin of Ritsuka's wrists. "I am sorry that I allowed you to be hurt. That was unacceptable."

Soubi pulled one of Ritsuka's hands to his mouth, his warm lips trailing against the flawed skin. Ritsuka shivered. His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation. Similar treatment was given to his other hand, and a strong arm wrapped around his waist to steady his trembling body. "Soubi," a quiet moan ripped from his lips, as Soubi's moist lips fluttered over his pulse point.

At the sound of Ritsuka's voice and shallow breathing, Soubi jolted away from the younger boy. Ritsuka's eyes widened as a look of horror flickered through Soubi's eyes. "Wh-what am I doing?" the fighter muttered in a strangled tone, his bloody hands tearing away from Ritsuka's hair. "What is wrong with me? You're…just a child." His blurry cerulean eyes stared at his crimson covered palms. "I'm sorry, Ritsuka. I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to make you dirty!" Soubi's voice grew increasingly frantic as he continued. "You believe me, don't you? Please don't hate me, Ritsuka. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tears fell, soaking the carpet. Ritsuka was silent, uncertain of what to say. He only ran his fingers through Soubi's hair and allowed the fighter to hold him as desperately and tightly as he wished.

* * *

A/N: THE CHAPTER OF ANGST, INSANITY, AND INTERNAL MONOLOGUES! \\_/ So, not much plot stuff in that chapter, but I think I compensated by including some fluff AND that sexy wrist molestation. Wrist porn FTW. What did you think, Sou-chan?

Soubi: *perverted smirk* I approve.

-_- Of course you do… So, what's gonna happen next? Will there be more sexy wrist action? Will the next chapter actually have a plot? Will I update in a timely manner?

Soubi: Do you really wanna go there?

All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 11 of TIMELESS!

**CHALLENGE: **So, I gots a little challenge/contest/request for you guys. I dare you to include some sexy wrist action in your next fic…or heck, just write some wrist action anywhere! In your review or a pm, write a short (or long) sexy wrist action scene. (If you put it in one of your fics, tell me the name of the fic). I will choose the sexiest one and the writer of gets an oneshot of their choice! **CONTEST ENDS OCTOBER 31!**

SEE YA NEXT TIME!


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